Septum Peccata Mortalia
by Risa the Forsaken
Summary: Trapped in the dark, stumbling around; an aimless heart. A child, abandoned and forsaken, dragged down a path of his sins. Succumbing to his agony, he discovers a small light. His light. He won't let her run. He'll burn her out before she can escape. Obsessive Gwevin, and first Ben 10 fic. Rated M for angst and dark incidents.
1. The Sin's Signal

It was dark. He was so cold.

Kevin wandered aimlessly down the street, soaking wet. He closed his eyes for a moment, pausing his clumsy stride. He could still hear the screaming in his ears. The wind was blowing hard, cars passed by, but still, their noise could not block it out.

He slowly raised his hand. Long fingers tenderly touched the dark spot on his cheek, just under his eye. Great. Just great. By now, it was already turning a dark purple color. Upon contact with the bruise, he winced. But only just a bit. He sighed and continued walking.

_No use worrying about something small like that, now... Teh... It's not like Social Services will ever get a chance to see it and intervene. All the good that would do..._

He let his hand fall back to his side limply. Opening his eyes, he inhaled. Rain has a funny scent, you know. Everything around you, damp and icy. It's just water; it isn't supposed to smell like anything. But he always remembered it as the scent of sadness. He was quite familiar with it, actually. Not really something you forget when your drunk old man beats you and shoves you out into the lawn, face down in the grass.

Hot tears trickled down his cheeks. He was aware of everything, all in this moment. The sights, the sounds, the cold. He was so cold. He needed to find some kind of shelter soon, or he'd freeze to death...

You'd normally think that New York wouldn't be this cold in the beginning of October. Fall was barey just beginning. But already, icy sheets and downpours cascaded the bright and lively city. Looking up at the lights shining from a large apartment complex, he cringed. Kevin was suddenly aware of a hand clenched tightly at his chest.

"I don't understand... Why does it hurt like this?"

Shutting his eyes tightly, he darted off down the side of the street, not caring if anyone noticed him or not. An image played in his mind: bright car lights, piercing through his vision; the loud, screeching sound impaling his ears; the cold and numbness that would follow the stinging pain. Of this, he was actually a bit hopeful.

He continued onward for some time, eyes closed to the world outside of himself, only running. And running. And running. He wasn't sure from what. A part of it was from the frightening events of that evening. Blood pounded through his ears as the recent memory played over and over again in the core of his being.

* * *

_Kevin was curled up in a ball in the corner of the kitchen, crying loudly. His mother was screaming profanities and throwing bowls and plates at him, face red, eyes filled with tears._

_He had tried making her dinner. He always knew how hard she worked around the house and how much she put up with. His abnormalties, but his father's loose temper, as well. She was lying on the couch, not paying attention to the static coming from the T.V. He handed her the plate, hand lightly pressed against hers. With the other, he reached for the remote to shut off all of that annoying noise. Suddenly, a spark came to his hand as he accidentally absorbed its energy. A shock was sent through his other hand to his mother, who gasped in pain. Kevin quickly moved back as she began crying and yelling at him, believing he had intentionally tried to harm her. Even if she knew it wasn't on purpose, it still would have gone the same way. Everything else was just a blur to him. Somehow, the dispute had led to the kitchen and turned violent._

_"You're nothing but a monster, a freak! I should never have had you in the first place, you little wretch! You should just die! Get out of here and crawl in a whole! Just die! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"_

_He cried louder. Pain was reverberating throughout every muscle of his body. Not just from the physical assault, but also from his shattered insides. His parents had always treated him like dirt, had always loathed him, had always been afraid of him. But nothing like this had ever happened before. She had never screamed like this. She had only once hinted at wishing he hadn't been born in another fit of rage, albeit on a much lower level. Much less intense than now. But then, she had stopped and even apologized when he begged her to not hate him. Said he was sorry for being a freak. Said he would try harder to act normal and not embarass her anymore. Said he was sorry for being alive in the first place. That it was his fault for being alive. He decided to try apologizing again. Things worked out last time, didn't they?_

_"M-Mommy..." Kevin stuttered, shakily getting to his knees and pulling himself up, hand clutching the counter for support. Somehow, against the bombard of kitchen appliances, he was able to stand. Slightly slumped over and covering his face, he moved towards her. "Mommy, I'm so-"_

_"Stay away from me!" his mother screamed, fear and disgust lacing each of her words. He bit his lip, more tears streaming down his already soaked cheeks. "Don't come any closer!"_

_His hand reached out towards her, quivering and shaking. A cut had formed on the back of his hand where glass had shattered and struck him. "I'm so sorry, Mommy! I'll try harder, I'm good, I promise!" He ran forward and hugged his assailant tightly, sobbing into her chest. "I love you so much, Mommy. You're the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. I'll be good. I-" He was stopped short as a hand struck across his face, burning and tingling. He stared up at the woman through flooded eyes, taking a small step back._

_"Get away from me! I hate you! Get out of here and die already, you're not wanted! You were never wanted!"_

_Her screams seemed dulled in his ears. She had never layed a hand on him before, not even as a sign of affection. He was completely startled by the contact._

_The first time she touches me.. and she does it with force. And hatred. Why, Mommy? Why do you hate me? What did I do wrong?_

_He didn't even notice as he was shoved to the floor, his mother glaring down at him with revoltion evident in her eyes. And something suddenly clicked._

_He was not loved._

_A howl of agony passed his lips and he clutched his head. All of the lights and electrical outlets started flickering wildly. Even the numbers on the microwave flashed by like crazy. Glass shattered, and there was a cry, mixed with fear and surprise._

_He cries continued. "You're supposed to take care of me, Mommy! So why..? You're supposed to love and take care of me!"_

_He didn't hear the door thrown wide open or the running steps in his direction._

_A roar of anger caught his attention, and his air was soon cut off. A larger hand was wrapped around his neck in a vice-like grip. Kevin choked and struggled, trying to move away. "P-Please," he gasped. "Let go of m-"_

_The face of his father was distorted with fury. Lifting his son up by the throat, he threw him across the room. He hit the refrigerator hard, sinking down to the floor. He clutched at his throat, gasping sobs emitting from his hunched figure._

_Dear God, it hurts so much..._

_He slowly looked up through streaming eyes. His father had grabbed a kitchen knife - his mother had miraculously seemed not to have thought of using them against him - and pointed it directly at Kevin. His face was red with blind anger and disdain. His chest rose up and down, eyes not straying away from what was supposed to be his child. Each word was heavy. Each syllable stung like the knife he in his hand._

_"You. Get out of my fucking house. Now!"_

_His ears were ringing. Kevin had no other thought in mind. He scrambled back up to his feet and ran to the door. As fast as he could, he tore through the jumbled living room and outside. He didn't notice the pellets of rain striking at him. Faintly, he could hear more yelling in the house as his parents fought. But it didn't linger in his mind. All he thought of was_

_running. He had to get away, had to, or he'd be-_

* * *

-hated," he whispered, finally stopping. Taking in heavy breaths, he slowly sank to the ground under a large bridge, head in his hands. He shook from the cold, and his inner turmoil. Nothing seemed to appease him now. However, the rain had a slight calming affect. He tried not to think. He couldn't think. He didn't want to live through the reality of it again. His eyelids felt heavy as he slid against the wall and felt the unforgiving, hard pavement against his cheek. He felt truly and utterly alone. No friends. No home. No family. He gazed at the rain and the blinking lights in the night sky. They were barely visible. At this point, he realized that he didn't belong. A small tear escaped from his redenned, puffy eye. _And that day's fateful result: you grew me to an adult._

"Dear God, teach me how to die."

* * *

A few years have passed since then. His slowly growing hatred knotted in his heart, coiling, and spread throughout his entire body. He'd always tried to supress it; he didn't want to hurt anyone. Those beautiful creatures. They were _normal_. They weren't freaks, like him.

However, his peaceful resolve snapped when he met _him_. The fucking boy with the watch.

Because of him, he had turned into even more of a freak. He'd befriended him, tried to help him get what he wanted. They were the same in so many ways. But there was one big difference: Ben was loved. Recalling how easily his new _friend _had turned on him, Kevin growled under his breath, "And I'm hated." He glared at the wall across from him and whispered, "That's the way it's got to be, I guess."

Kevin's right leg was entirely covered in scales. It hurt as they slowly grew. The process wasn't very fast. But soon enough, he'd be a full-fledged monster. Even so, he couldn't figure out how to utalize his new abilities. It seemed his old ones were temporarily dried up, as well.

He twitched his fingers slowly, closed his eyes, and tried to concentrate. Quickly growing frustrated, he shouted, "Work, damn it! You could do it a few hours ago, so why not now?" He picked up a stone and threw it against the wall, receiving nothing but its rebound. He grimaced, rubbing his cheek. It was sore already.

Sighing, he tried to calm down. But those faces were all he could see. Those faces, so full of relief and rejoice. The faces that he had caught a glimpse of beforehand, when he fled. They were happy that he had left. Probably just one less burden to carry around.

_Just a nuisance. Another problem for someone._

He grit his teeth and thought of fighting with Ben. He absorbed the watch's powers, but had no idea how to use them.

"I probably need another charge from.." he paused for a moment, staring at his left hand in mild shock. "...it."

Inside of his palm was a small flame, about the size of a golf ball. He smirked and could feel the power racing through his arm, increasing as he focused. Now, the flame grew, expanded. Kevin laughed, "Yes, finally!" Pulling back his arm, he swung it forward, launching his fireball into a dumpster. Upon contact, the entire object blew up in flames.

Kevin was satisfied. He now had a reason.

Standing up and walking out into the street, he began. Wreaking havoc on the citizens and environment around him, he couldn't hide his laughter. His chest felt so light. His heart didn't hurt anymore. There were screams surrounding him. Bright, orange light. Everything felt so hot. Burning. All of those worthless people who had forsaken him were burning. Every direction was alight with red.

_The only thing he could see: red._

Strolling with a smirk on his face, followed by his wake of destruction, he slowly began to change. All of the powers absorbed from the Omnitrix were mixing with him. "Dabbling with it must have sped up the process," he mumbled. He started to feel crunching of his muscles, his bones expanding. Kevin started running. _Running._ But this time, he had a destination.

"If they thought I was a freak before, just wait until they see this!"

He laughed harder and kept running, the city behind him completely engulfed in flames. No one was going to take anything from him anymore. He was a boy with absolutely nothing to lose, but everything to gain. And he knew exactly what he wanted. He was going to make them suffer. Make them go through the same agony he had endured his entire life.

"I'll squish them in the mud like the worthless parasites they are. All of them," he muttered to himself, kicking over the burnt remains of a corpse. The light from the chaos lit up his features with a mad glow. Indulging in the bliss of his fantasies, he continued on. Soon after, he passed the city limits.

And with that, he fell to the abyss.

* * *

Mm... I love the ideas I have for this story. I can only hope my silly writing style doesn't mess them up or make them too boring. I know it drags at a few parts. Review if you want me to post the other chapters to this; I'll try to update it every few days or so. Eheh, constructive criticism is much appreciated. The rest of the plot will be revealed in later chapters, so don't worry about how it doesn't relate to the summary much yet. Well, enjoy the story. _Ciao, gattini._


	2. Avaritia

Kevin slipped through the wide alley way slowly. His larger appearance was extremely noticeable, so he had to be careful. If he were to be seen, there would definitely be a huge fiasco.

He was quite a bizarre thing to lay eyes on. His right arm was huge and crystaline, light reflected by each jade crevice. His left, made of fiery, hot stone. It looked as if magma could bubble right off of him. Actually, some did. Dripping down his arm and his hand to the pavement below, his arm oozed, leaving tiny singe marks and holes.

Below these, he had a second set of arms protruding from his sides. Each looked the same, covered in furry, orange hair. Claws could be seen if someone looked closely enough.

Moving on, his entire torso was a very brilliant, noticeable shade of red. Even in its dulled and muddled shade, it easily drew the eye's attention. His legs and face were also the same color. A pair of brown, torn pants clung to him. Kevin was glad he had found some shabby piece of clothing. Even more grateful that they were large enough to fit him.

Further up, black streaks trailed over his shoulders and the front of his chest. This area became darker towards the direction of his back. It was entirely pitch black, with green lines zagging all over it, like something you might see if you were inside a computer. Jutting out of his back were two whispy wings that hardly looked like they could support him in flight. Surprisingly enough, they did. A very faint yellow-green color, they fluttered weakly.

A little lower was a striped tail, black and blue. As he walked, it swung sluggishly from side to side. Suddenly, it struck out at a tall fence. With seemingly no effort at all, the fence lay on the ground in a crumpled heap.

A smirk lit up his harsh visage. One long, red antennae stuck out from his forehead, tipped white at the end. Below that, on the right side of his face, a large eye. Green in color, it has a thick, horizontal pupil. On the left side of his face were two eyes, much more narrow, with one above the other. Time had not served him well, in terms of looks. _Abilities, however..._

All of these attributes gave him a very sinister image. He shoved past the remains of the fence and trudged forward, cackling quietly. "It's payday. Heh, finally. I think I can make off with a pretty good haul; this place is huge..." He smirked as he glanced up the side of the bank, glistening white in the darkness. He wouldn't have much interference; he could easily take down the security. No one would be around to see him, of night giving him an exceptional amount of coverage.

He thought for a second. "Hm... Even if the pigs came, I could get out of here pretty quickly," he mused to himself. Kevin slipped around to the back of the building, reaching up and crushing the security camera positioned above the frame. Then, he ripped the door right off its hinges, stepping inside.

Inside, he was surrounded by inky shadows. Kevin could hardly see more than a few feet in front of him, but he walked forward anyways. He suddenly lost his balance and fell forward, catching himself with his lower arms. He growled, "What the hell was tha-" Blinking, he saw what had tripped him: a thin wire. Alarms started going off around the entire place, probably alerting the police.

"Damn it, I need to hurry," he groaned to himself, quickly getting up and making his way up the stairs. He wasn't very aware of his surroundings and had absolutely no clue where the cash was. Slowly growing nervous, he shoved open a door and was surprised when he saw the huge vault. With a smirk, he yelled, "Alright!" Pointing his arm at the metal's front, a jet of fire and steam shot straight through the center. After only a few seconds, a large hole was formed.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be..."

Pushing his way inside, the glow from the burning metal threw his features into relief. A look of glee crossed his face when he noticed all that had been stored away. "Oh, man, I'm gunna be rich!" he laughed and he started grabbing as much loot as he could. When his large pockets couldn't hold any more, he slipped back out and headed to another room. He could faintly make out the sound of sirens in the distance, approaching fast. _Hm, maybe a curtain or something would do... No way I'm leaving just yet. The damn cops can wait._

Walking into a room down the hall, he ripped some drapery from each of the windows. He grinned and chided, "That should be just perfect." Turning around to collect more of his fortune, he was met with a fist to the jaw. This sent him flying back into the wall, groaning. "W-Who..?" The crash formed a huge dent in the wall, a long series of deep cracks evident.

The mutant looked up and saw another creature, similar in color and body structure. Where Kevin had only one set of eyes on the left side of his face, the beast in front of him had two. It had a black streak along the top of its cranium, stopping at the brink of his forehead. It also wore pants and a black-white shirt, with a strange object attached to the front. Kevin's eyes widened as he realized who his attacker was. Quickly springing up to his feet, he yelled out. "Tennyson!"

Ben grinned, cracking the knuckles on each of his four hands. "You miss me?" he teased, moving forward to punch Kevin again. This time, he was ready and could move out of the way just in time. Ben's fist made contact with the wall, where Kevin's head had been just a moment ago. He blinked, foot against the wall, trying to pull his arm out. "Hey, I'm stuck!"

Kevin burst out laughing, slipping behind his old partner. "Oh, man, you look so pathetic right now! You should see yourself." He smirked and raised his diamond-encrusted arm. "Here, I'll help turn your head around so you can see." Swinging his arm to the side, the hard apendage met the side of Ben's head, knocking him away from the wall and onto the ground. He coughed as dust and bits of foundation filled the air from his sudden expulsion and squinted up at his enemy.

"You're so going to get it for that," he called, lunging for him. Kevin easily sidestepped him again, still laughing. He walked over to Ben, who was lying on his face in a heap, and stepped down hard on his back. A growl of pain emitted from his lips as a crunching sound was heard. "Why, you..."

Kevin stomped down again and again, not able to suppress his amusement. "You know, for being a dimwit loser, you're actually pretty fun to play with," he grinned, eyes shining. He lowered his arm and set flame to the carpet, then the couch. The room was quickly enveloped in smoke and fire. "Now, I'd love to play some more, but I've got a pile of bread waiting for me in the next room." Turning around, he was suddenly hit with several orbs of pink light. He gasped, crashing into some fixture on the side of the room.

"Ben!" a female voice cried out in the midst of the haze. Smoke was gathering quickly, filling the tiny space. A few tiny coughs were heard, along with the sirens outside. It seemed as if the police had finally arrived - _lazy pigs, as usual _- along with what sounded like the entire fire apartment. Fire was slowly spreading throughout the room and into the hallway, part of the floor starting to cave in.

Through the clouds of dark gray, he could catch a glimpse of bright red hair.

His eyes locked with hers.

In that moment, he quickly sat up, firing crystals and flames from both his arms. The other two were gagging and retching as he fell through the floor to the level below. Kevin smashed through a window and got out of there as fast as he could, praying that the increasing blaze would be a sufficient distraction.

He made his way through onslot of cars and officers firing bullets, none of which affected him. He was too fast; his skin was too rough. These small, petty people with their useless weapons made no difference. In less than a minute, he was running through the city, soon reaching its outer edge. From there, he turned to a large expanse of trees, running.

_Running._

Again, he didn't know why. Just that he had to get away. Just had to _run_.

* * *

Hoses sprayed out gallons and gallons of water from trucks; the bank was completely going up in smoke. Their efforts barely helped, and more of the building collapsed in on itself.

Out of the rubble came the girl, supporting the figure of a slightly smaller boy. He appeared to be unconcious, limply hanging off of his cousin. The watch on his wrist was glowing a bright red.

"Gwen, Ben!" An old man ran up to the two children, panting. "Are you two alright?" he questioned, his voice exasperated. The girl smiled a bit, relief eteched onto her face. A bit of soot was smeared across her cheek.

"Yeah... We'll be alright," she replied, laughing lightly. "But I think the dweeb's going to sleep straight through to Christmas." The older man leaned over and picked his grandson up into his arms. Ben didn't stir; he was clearly exhausted.

"Well, come on, then. Let's get back to the ol' Rust Bucket," he sighed. "What happened in there anyways? Did Ben get the one who started this mess?"

Gwen bit her lip, looking down as she nervously answered, "No. He must've torched the place after he got what he came for." He didn't notice this, and kept his gaze straight ahead, walking past the cars and trucks.

"Well, I'm sure the authorities will find him soon. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone carrying that much money."

"Eheh, you're probably right..." She kept her eyes averted with a guilty expression. Gwen knew exactly who the culprit was: _Kevin_. But she didn't know how he ended up in the same city as them. Not to mention, at the same time. He was last seen in New York, so why would he be halfway across the country? Had he been following them?

She shuddered. Gwen didn't exactly like the idea of her, Ben, and her grandfather being stalked by some monstrous and inhuman _thing_ like Kevin.

But still, she had no idea why she hadn't told any of this to Grandpa Max. She thought back to the last moment.

_His eyes locked with mine... It was only a second, but still... It felt like hours. He seemed.. afraid? But why would he be scared of someone one-third his size?_

Thinking hurt her head too much. Upon arrival to their RV, she quickly settled down in her bunk. The last thing she thought of before she fell asleep was his face.

Gwen was afraid.

* * *

Kevin fell to his knees, on the bank of a river. He scooped up some water, splashing his face and quenching his thirst. He had no idea why he felt like this. It felt like his entire _being_ had been shooken up. He glanced down, noticing his hands were trembling. He sighed, wrapping them around his knees and staring at his reflection.

"Nn. Still as ugly as ever, it seems," he smirked, but his flamboyant expression quickly turned into a dark grimace. "Pathetic..."

He sat there and thought for awhile. He had no clue why he'd just flown the coop like that. He'd even left all of that wealth behind. Right now, he could be rolling in cash. Even so, it didn't seem all that important to him at the moment. He sighed and layed back, hard arm resting lightly over his closed eyes.

_What the hell happened back there, Levin? You choked. Kevin 11 _never_ chokes. _

He removed his arm and glared up at the sky. It was actually quite beautiful. Not a cloud was in the way to block the stars from his view; the heavens were completely open to him. Lazily, he tried making out lines and figures from the points.

Kevin closed his eyes again, hoping to get some sleep. His thoughts travelled to the Tennyson girl. He frowned; it had only been a second, but her eyes had been enough to make him get the hell out of there.

_Those big, green eyes..._

He blinked and quickly sat up, staring in front of him in shock. "..What the hell am I thinking?" he growled to himself, getting back to his feet and kicking a small boulder into the river. His head hurt whenever he thought about something too much. Shoving his hands into his pockets - _empty_ pockets, that is - and walking forward, Kevin decided to find a big tree to sleep under for the night.

Instead, to his satisfaction, he saw a small cave. Luckily, it was just big enough to accomodate him. Lying down, he curled up into a ball, letting his head rest on his cooler arm - he didn't need to be singing half his face off, now did he?

After only a few minutes, it was hard to keep his eyes open. He knew he'd ache all over in the morning, but he didn't care. He just needed to sleep.

When he woke up early the next day, it was still dark. He started making plans for another heist, one he hoped would turn out to be _somewhat_ successful. The previous night's interference really pissed him off.

As he moved onward, he didn't recall his dreams of those shiny, green eyes.

They still lingered in the back of his mind.


	3. Superbia

Sorry that I haven't posted this yet; I've been a little preocuppied. So as a token of my apology, here's an extra long chapter. :3 Leave me a nice, juicy review. So far, this has been my favorite chapter to write.

And now, on to the story! ;A;

* * *

Weeks and weeks had gone by. He still had this heavy feeling in his chest.

Ever since their little "run-in," Kevin hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. He'd still imagine her eyes. Those large, swirling pools of August grasses. They were so deep; whenever he imagined them, he felt like he was drowning.

He'd tried distracting himself. Money didn't seem that important to him anymore, so he'd just settle for causing a little bit of chaos here and there. He couldn't stay in any one place too long, either. Kevin kept running from city to city, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Even the satisfaction he got out of it had changed. He didn't know why; things just felt so different now.

He became angrier and angrier as the days went by. He blamed his anguish on the _humans_. The normal ones. They were so delicate and fragile; he could crush them in the palm of his hand without a second thought.

Kevin smirked. He lay, faced up to the sky, next to a small stream. It's strange. Ever since that night, he had always returned to these small banks, wherever he may be. He found them calming. Soothing, even. It gave him a chance to clear his mind and think. He didn't even need to think of anything in particular. He just needed to relax.

However, some thoughts would always begin to swarm into his head, unfurling and corrupting.

He thought of ordinary people. He would always be above them, wouldn't he? He could swipe away their tiny lives on a mere whim. They were almost.. _too _weak.

And what did that make him? _Too _strong.

Sighing, Kevin rolled onto his side, staring down into the water below. He let his stony fingers play at its surface, watching the ripples form and spread out. Then, he caught a glance of his own reflection. He stared at it for a minute, a sad expression etched onto his face.

Kevin now lay flat on his stomach, watching it. Searching for an answer. Looking at every detail, every small feature. He was trapped, staring at what couldn't be him. Hours and hours passed, and he hadn't moved a single inch.

"A monster is staring straight back at me... It's going to devour me this time, too, isn't it?" he sighed again, closing his eyes for a moment. Just a moment. Upon opening them, he choked on his gasp of surprise.

Gazing right back at him was, yes, his own image. But it was strangely distorted, smirking up at him. Kevin was horrified; he quickly struck out at the "other him," moving back. Water splashed; the surface was covered in the same ripples, spreading out until the water settled down again. Silence followed. Slowly, hesitantly, he returned to the bank's edge. All he saw was his own frightened expression looking back at him.

Biting his lip, he whispered, "There you go again, Levin. Scaring the shit out of yourself for nothing..." He chuckled nervously. There was nothing to be afraid of. Even if, by some chance, a creature had been able to disguise itself as him, he could take it on, couldn't he?

_Right?_

Wrong. He could tell. Kevin knew it was a reflection of his inner self. His tainted, disgusting insides. All mangled up and exposed on the front for the world to see. He cringed. That's what he was becoming, wasn't it? What a scary thought...

All of a sudden, he heard a soft, whispering sound. Like a blowing breeze. Dismissing it as nothing _but_ the wind, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. The sun was high in the sky, a few clouds passing over it. Abnormally warm for October in the north.

He froze.

"October, then..." he muttered to himself. Kevin started shaking. That's when this whole mess began, didn't it? When he was thrown out. Cast away from the rest of the world. Isolated. _Abandoned. _Strangled sobs and gasps escaped his lips. He curled up tightly into a ball, shaking and crying. He hadn't remembered the last time he had cried like this. Let alone, cried at all.

_I thought I'd forgotten how to..._

Time slowly slid by like this. Day soon turned into night. He hadn't moved at all, and felt the weather slowly growing cooler. Then colder. And even colder. He let out a bitter laugh. "There. That's more like it. The only difference is that it's not.. raining..." Letting out a low groan, Kevin began to feel the light drops of moisture fall to his face. He held up his left arm to cover himself, the rain making soft hissing noises as it made contact with his burning appendage.

The whisper from earlier returned, slowly growing in intensity. Inside his mind, it growled, _"Well, isn't this just dandy? Stuck alone in the rain. Just like when you were a little kid, right? What, are you gunna _cry _now?"_

Kevin groaned. "Shut up. Leave me alone..."

_"Aw, is the little baby sad? Gunna cry again? Cry because your own mother didn't even want you?"_

The voice snickered, echoing around inside him. It was as graceful as a wasp flickering around in a jar.

"Get out of my head!" he roared, sitting up and clutching at his dark hair, glaring around him. "Unless you want me to beat the shit out of you, you'd better-"

_"Oh, yes, that's more like it. Giving into your rage again? Ah.. hahaha. Definitely much better than just lying there and crying, eh? Like a little baby, right? Jeez, this appearance is pathetic enough, but I wouldn't think your insides would be just a puddle of mush, too."_

Kevin blinked, glancing around himself, trying to calm down. "..Who're you, anyways? And how're you talking to me like this?"

The voice started laughing harshly. _"Well, isn't it obvious? I'm _you_, you little pansy."_

By this, he was taken aback. "You're not me. Now get out." Damn, this guy was really irking him. _But how could he know about all of that? No one else knows... Unless maybe he _is_ another part of me... But wait. How is that even possible? Ugh, someone cut me some slack already... _Kevin wasn't the brightest adolescent in the world. All of this thinking was pissing him off.

More laughter. _"You're half-correct. I'm not you. I'm not _weak_, like you are. I'm not pathetic, like you are. You see, I'm your anger. I'm your hatred. All stuffed into one, itsy-bitsy, tiny hole in your brain. I see everything you see. We're one in the same. But there's one other difference between us, you know."_

Okay, he was starting to feel creeped out now. So his brain was talking to him. Great. That's just great. Maybe he finally hit crazy.

Biting his lip, he looked up. Tempted to say something like, 'Oh, what's that? The fact that I can actually control _our _body?' However, he feared the voice's reply. So, he just settled for mumbling to the ground. "And what would that be?"

_"I can make you stronger."_

Kevin stayed silent for a minute. "What're you even talking about? I'm already invincible!" He growled. "Or would you like a fucking demonstration?" Yep. Back to pissed again. His moods seemed to alter a lot, nowadays.

_"What good is physical strength if you don't have enough backbone to support it? Lying here in the rain, crying your eyes out. Paints a pretty pathetic picture, doesn't it? Right?"_

He felt himself nodding, and he wasn't even trying to. This was definitely a weird day...

_"Good. I thought so, too. Now, all you have to do is throw out all of those stupid emotions. Or..."_

Its tone became quite malicious. _"Is there something holding you back?" _When Kevin failed to come up with an answer, it let out a dry, wheezing cackle. The voice was growing darker and more distorted by the minute. _"Hm. I'm right again, it seems. So, let's see what little bit of _human_ you have left in you..."_

Images of Gwen flashed before Kevin's eyes. He growled and shot up from the ground. "For the last fucking time, _get out of my head!_" He fell into a massive fury. Trees were uprooted from the ground. Rocks were shattered.

The voice chuckled lightly, fading into the inner recesses of his mind as the seconds passed by. _"Seems as if you're finally starting to learn. That's good, that's good..." _By the end of its sentence, Kevin couldn't hear any more. It was finally gone. He didn't need a moment to think; it had done its work. He let his hatred flow, crushing all of those feelings, those weaknesses, those _memories_. Before he knew it, his anger had led him into the nearby town.

Cars were flipped over; people were screaming. Oh, that sound. That lovely sound. It was like music to his ears, like fuel to keep his fire going. Everything and nothing were both trapped in a heat haze as he continued. Men were torn down from their proud selves; haughty women were sinking in their terror; children were realizing nightmares. All of these fueld the blaze in his heart. He could step all over them, the people who had held him down his entire life.

They all hated him, he could tell. They were all born _to_ hate him. He blew their lives out before they had a chance to hurt him. No one was guiltless. This race had to pay for what they had turned him into. This destruction was all _their doing._

Out of the blue came a loud bang. Kevin barely had a second to turn around as he was struck with a huge force: something had been fired at him. He let out a yell as he was blasted some distance away, crashing into vehicles, toppling over.

He rubbed his head and looked up, noticing people surrounding him. His vision was blurry, he felt himself getting weaker. Before he lost conciousness, the could of sworn he heard _it_ laughing at him.

* * *

Slowly, he began to wake up, noticing how blurry his surroundings were. He vaguely remembered the night's events - that is, if it was the next morning. He groaned in agitation, hand instantly flying to his chest. Looking down, he blinked at what he saw. There were bandages tightly wrapped around his torso over. They covered a wound that he presumed had come from a missile of sorts. He poked at them harshly with a hardened finger. Not a very smart idea. Wincing, he grumbled, "What, did they send the damned _military _after me or something?" He gingerly rubbed his afflicted area and looked around the room. _Looks like I'm in a cell... Wait, a cell? How the fuck did they manage to capture me? I'm Kevin-fucking-Elevin, for Christ's sake!_

Stumbling up to his knees, he tried blasting magma at the wall. Nothing. Not even a single mark. His left arm sharpened and he tried cutting his way through. Still, no affect. He thought for a second, and turned to the door. There was no handle or window, and was probably the only way out of here. "Tch, probably a controlled door, too..." He braced himself. He let out a yell as he fired both flames and crystals with all his might, but to no avail. Huffing, he fell back to the floor on his back, exhausted.

He glared up at the metallic ceiling, panting. "Damn it, this is all your fault! You did this to me!" Gasping and wheezing, Kevin tried to catch his breath so he could continue berating his unknown punisher. "You created me so I could turn into a monster, a freak! It's your fault! It's.. not mine..."

Not those thoughts. Not here. He forced himself back up to his feet and took a stance. Again and again and again, he threw himself at the exit. Again and again and again, nothing happened.

Silence.

He sat down against the wall, staring at his large hands. He buried his face in his hands, adrenaline coursing through each vein in his body.

Lying down, he closed his eyes, trying to adjust and get comfortable. To calm down. He had such a throbbing headache; it made it really hard for him to think of a way out of there. He tossed and turned for awhile. With the silence, he sighed for what was probably the hundreth time that day. Accompanied by his weary state, those piercing whispers started up again.

"I really need to get out of this place..."

* * *

He'd done it again. Ben just _had_ to go and let himself get captured by what was probably another wack-o scientist. Gwen crossed her arms, staring out the passenger window as the cars and buildings flew by. The RV was definitely going over the speed limit, but her grandfather didn't notice. They just needed to focus on getting that creep back.

They had all decided to go for a walk in the park. A nice, simple day. Ben had seen an icecream cart and completely spazzed out. Instead of buying some and doing and what any _normal_ person would have done, he went alien and tried stealing it. This drew a lot of attention to him, and a car pulled up. A guy wearing a gas mask had shoved him in, hopped back inside, and drove off. And that's where their simple day had turned hectic.

A beeping sound started coming from a screen on the dashboard. "Ugh, _please_ tell me that's a good thing," she groaned, turning her attention towards it. They had been searching for her cousin for what seemed like hours, with a number of false alarms from the other detection devices.

Max grinned triumphantly. "No. We've got him."

Her head jerked up. "Really?" Letting out an exasperated sigh, she leaned back in her seat. "Well, isn't that a relief..."

He chuckled. "Definitely. Now hang on, this is going to get bumpy!" Quickly, he turned the wheel to the right, knuckles white from gripping it so tightly. In a split second the blue sky in front of them morphed into a mass of green and brown. The two were bouncing up and down in their seats and they blew their way through the thicket.

The Rustbucket zoomed past blurry shrubbery; loud thuds and other noises shook all around them. Gwen let out a tiny scream as they flew down a hill, emerging out of the chaos. They were headed straight towards a huge, fortress-like building. Before she knew it, they had already crashed right into its side. She lurched forward and heard a sharp crash, head searing with pain. In a few seconds, everything went dark.

* * *

She heard these strange, low sounds that echoed in her head. She groaned, weakly moving her hand upwards. There, she felt this strange, sticky substance. Her eyelids felt so heavy. Realizing she was lying down, Gwen wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. However, the voice steadily grew louder and clearer.

"Hey, Gwen? Gwendolyn? Are you alright?" The noise was worried and frantic. It made her head ache even worse.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Nn... Who's there...?" Forcing her eyes to open, she started making out colors and shapes. Someone was kneeling next to her. It was fuzzy and she couldn't make anything out properly. The light was really irritating, and she closed her eyes again.

After awhile, she heard a loud yell, followed by a blast. Gwen tried peeking out from her right eye and everything was illuminated brightly. There was another cry and a zap, then everything was submerged in darkness.

A beeping followed. Although farther down the hall, the sound was extremely sharp and annoying. Voices could be heard in a low rumble even farther away.

_What happened..? Did someone turn off the lights..? And what's that noise..? I need to get up, but my head is just.. ugh..._

Incoming running, followed by yelling. A swarm of people - although, they didn't _sound_ like people - seemed to pass right by her, their steps reverberating off of the hard floors. Somehow, no one had trampled over her. It's like they didn't even see her at all. The noise died down. She weakly reached an arm out, feeling for anything. Nothing. Seems like whoever had been there a few minutes ago was gone now.

She shuddered. Gwen didn't like the idea of being on the ground, in the middle of nowhere, defenseless. She tried forming orbs in her hand. Their pink light flickered briefly, then died out. That's right. Completely and utterfly defenseless. She limply let her arm fall back to the linoleum with a sigh.

Big mistake.

Something must have heard her small exhale of air; it was moving towards her, fast. Frozen in place, held down by fear, she held her breath. The other stopped. She heard it make a sound of confusion. Allowing her eyes to open, only a sliver, she could see a fiery glow. It stayed in place shortly, and starting moving farther away from her.

_Oh, good, maybe I'm alone now..._

She closed her eyes as a shudder coursed through her body. Relaxing after a few deep breaths, she lay there in dark silence. _Now I can focus on finding Grandpa and Be-_

Her eyes flashed open, wide and horrified._ It_ had a hand on her arm. She could feels its hot breath at her neck. A large eye could be seen glowing in the darkness, along with two smaller ones. They were locked right onto her. She couldn't move; it felt like her heart had completely stopped.

Nothing happened. It hadn't seemed to notice that she was awake. After a few more empty minutes, she was pulled into its arms. The creature stood up and walked a small distance, sitting back down. Her heart was beating like crazy, ready to burst straight out of her chest. A cold and hard hand caressed her cheek with surprising gentleness. This confused her - weren't all monsters supposed to be unfeeling and rough?

This continued for some time. Moments spread out like hours. Out of nowhere, she heard a voice, soft like silk.

"Really, I wonder what it is you've done to me..." it chuckled, followed once more by silence. After awhile, it continued. "You're just like an angel. Soft, wonderfully warm..."

Gwen shook slightly, praying he didn't notice. She didn't know _who_ or _what_ this thing was, _how_ it knew her, or _why_ it was _holding_ her. Trying not to panic, she settled down and listened.

" 'Your hair winter fire... January embers... My heart burns there, too,' " it quoted.

Its hand slid up from her cheek and tangled in her hair. "And your small body... So fragile..." With its other hand, the creature stroked her arm slowly. Searing pain shot through her, and Gwen immediately moved back.

She heard a low growl. Backing away as fast as she could, she turned and scrambled to her feet, taking off in a run. She stumbled along the way, terrified. She heard it catching up, and fast. Gwen tripped, falling back to the floor heavily. The thing skidded past her with a laugh. Turning, it took its time, then dropped down to one knee.

"You know, as beautiful as you are, you're awfully clumsy," it muttered, more to itself than Gwen. She couldn't move away; it held her in place by the arms. She could feel her arm burning in the same spot. She didn't even try to put up a fight as it leaned in closer.

Then, the hall was filled with a blinding light. From farther down, she could hear running in their direction.

"Gwen! Hurry, get away from him!" There was a flash of green, and the voice deepened. "Get away from my cousin, you freak!" Ben's voice was closer now; his horrified tone sent shivers up her spine.

As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was staring right into the face of Kevin E. Levin.

Her complexion instantly paled; she felt like she would be sick. Never before had she been this close to him. During their first encounter after his mutation, his image had been masked by smoke and fire. Now, at such a close proximity, she could see each of his ugly features. Worst of all: he was looking directly at her. Unfazed by Ben's arrival, a smirk was plastered on his face. It made her blood run cold.

Kevin leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Gwen felt like she couldn't move a single muscle. Barely a few seconds had gone by and she realized that he had already fled.

Ben came back, in human form, shaking his head. "He got away... Did he hurt you?" He dropped down in front of her, hands on her shoulders. She didn't reply, staring directly in front of her with wide eyes. "Uh.. Gwen? Hello? Anybody in there?"

She blinked after a few seconds and looked around, then smiled dazedly. "Oh, what..? No, no, I'm fine..."

* * *

After making sure she was okay, Ben and Grandpa Max walked over to a massive hole in the wall. As she followed behind them, Max filled her in on how the impact had forced her straight out through the windshield.

Her cousin kept his eyes down as he told her the rest of the story. While their grandfather had been trying to wake her up, Ben managed to escape from his cell. But to do so, he had turned into Gray Matter to disable the base's power and security. Guilt was evident on his face. This had caused a major break out of other alien specimens. A few were recaptured, but a couple dozen were still on the loose.

The two continued filling her in on the details, like how they'd be spending the next few days rounding up the rest of the escapees. After falling into silence and getting into the RV, neither of them tried bringing up what happened when the lights came back on.

* * *

Gwen barely heard a word either of them had to say. She was still numb from the encounter. Brilliant as she was, she couldn't wrap her finger around what had happened, and what Kevin had said. None of it made sense, jumbling up and tangling in her mind.

That night, she realized something. For the second time in her life, she was afraid. _Really afraid. _

She was staring out the window, curled up in the covers, too nervous to fall asleep. Crickets chirped outside; leaves rustled in the wind. The faint _pitter patter_ of raindrops sounded against the top of the RV.

She'd never had to worry about silly things like nightmares before. Never before had someone had control over her like this. Gwen glanced down at her arm - she had forced herself to avoid looking at it since leaving the facility. Biting her lip, she anxiously pulled back the sleeve of her pajamas. There, on her forearm, was the burn mark she received from Kevin. This made her recall that last short moment with him.

" 'I'll see you in your dreams...' "


	4. Invidia

He stood there, frozen in time. The flakes fell in slow motion as she wrapped her arms around another.

"Merry Christmas, Ben."

* * *

It had gotten warmer as the day wore on. Kevin trudged through piles of snow in the empty backstreets, scavenging for food. So far, he hadn't been having very good luck. Shuddering, he glanced up at the white sky. It almost hurt his eyes to look. It seemed so bright; pure, even.

Sighing, he plopped down on a small pile of bricks. Even for him, the weather was still pretty cold. He lit up a large flame in his hand and moved it closer to his body. "Mm, that's better..."

Not thinking of anything in particular, his stomach grumbled. With a groan, he got back up and started looking around again. Nothing. Kevin couldn't remember the last time he ate. _Had to have been around.. a week ago? Maybe more?_ In frustration, he kicked over a trash can.

To his disgust, rats and a bunch of creepy-crawlies scutteled out. Gross. He moved away and gave up looking for his next meal, settling for just taking a walk. Minutes passed by. He hadn't seen anything too interesting, apart from a group of kids playing hocky on the ice. Smirking, an idea popped into his head. _Well, well, well. Maybe this day isn't going to be a complete waste after all._ He stepped out from the shadows and lunged towards the boys.

"Hey! It's a monster!" a frightened voice called out. Most of the children turned and ran off. Only a few slow, scared stragglers were left behind. Kevin smirked and lifted one up by the ankle.

"Hm, I wonder... Do little humans taste like chicken?" he taunted, exposing his razor-like teeth. A little squeel came from his victim, who fainted a second later. Those who were still there quickly fled. Chuckling, Kevin dropped the boy into a large drift of snow and continued walking. A second later, he was sprawled on the ice, head stuck in another pile.

He growled, forcing his head out. "What's with all this damned ice everywhere?" Trying to get back to his feet, he slipped again, landing this time on his behind. He let out a sigh. Seems like Mother Nature had it in for him, too.

Eventually, he managed to keep his balance for more than a moment and walked on. He was closer to other people now; he could hear their laughs, could almost see those smiles etched onto their rosy faces. Peering from around a corner, that's exactly what he saw. Happy holiday shoppers all throughout the streets, going about their business. It was Christmas Eve, and the streets were full of people hoping to catch last-minute sales. His gaze shifted over to a rather loud couple. One picked the other up, spinning around in circles. Scoffing, Kevin forced himself to look away.

_That's so stupid... But..._

"They seem so happy..."

He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled. No one had ever held him like that. In his entire life, he didn't have anyone's smile directed towards him. Not once. Not a single time. Absolutely seething, he thought of tearing the exuberant couple apart. But for some strange reason, he felt so weary. Deciding to look around for food in a much less crowded area, something caught his eye: a flash of bright red hair.

Blinking, he raked the jumbled streets with his eyes, searching for it again, hoping to catch just another glimpse. To his satisfaction, he saw Gwen emerge from the midst of the fray. Her hair blew around her shoulders in the breeze - had it gotten longer?

She was definitely better dressed for the weather than he was. Her boots were almost long enough to reach her knees, covered in fur. She even donned a hat with small cat ears poking out. He tilted his head to the side, staring at them curiously. To him, they seemed strange.

All bundled up in her sweater and scarf, she sat herself down on a bench, not too far from Kevin's location. He was shocked to see her again under such normal circumstances. Their last two encounters had been anything _but _normal, including a fire and a prison break. Desperately wanting to get closer and talk to her, he realized that he probably hadn't left a very good first impression.

_Ngh... I feel like some creepy voyer._

He dismissed the thought and went back to observing her. She was holding a small cup of hot cocoa between her hands. Kevin definitely thought the color of her gloves suited her - a soft, pleasant shade of purple. It made a nice contrast to her eyes. He tried to avoid looking at those; he'd start to get that weird, fuzzy feeling again. Letting his gaze drift, he noticed her knee bouncing up and down. She was anxious, her expression tight with worry.

Kevin was busy trying to understand why she looked so upset when someone else came out from the crowd. Gwen saw the boy approaching and her face instantly lit up. She looked just like the bulbs that hung across storefront windows.

"There you are, doofus! I've been looking all over for you!" She sounded a little angry, setting her mug down and getting up.

The boy let out a nervous laugh. Kevin couldn't really tell who it was from this angle - he had a jacket on with the hood pulled up. But when he spoke, he knew just who this "doofus" was.

"Eheh, sorry I'm late... I took a little detour."

Gwen shot a glare at him, but her giggles killed its affect. "Oh yeah, like what?"

Ben did a weird kind of pose, flexing. Kevin thought he looked like an idiot. "You know, awesome hero stuff."

Smirking, hands on her hips, she pointed to his pockets, which were filled with cards. "Don't you mean tricking a bunch of kids into giving you their Sumo Slammers collections?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Uh.. something like that, maybe."

She punched his arm lightly. "Come on. We should start heading back to the hotel. It's gunna get dark soon," she sighed.

"Yeah... Guess you're right. What floor again?"

Letting out a little sigh, she answered, "Sixth. The rooms _way_ down at the end."

"..I knew that."

"Sure you did."

The two walked started back towards the direction they had come from. Out of curiosity, Kevin began to follow, making sure to stay under the cover of the shadows. It was pretty tough work, mind you. For one, they were making their way through a bustling crowd of shoppers. And two, he had to keep darting in and out of different alleyways just to make sure he was still following them. After the sun had long disappeared, the pair stopped near a tall building.

"Wait, Ben."

Kevin stepped out one more time to make sure he was tracking the right two people. Thankfully, he darted back just in time before either of them saw him. Heart thudding loudly in his ears, he could have sworn she caught a glimpse of him. 'Look out, behind you!' That's what she was about to say, right?

Frozen in place, he couldn't wrap his mind around what happened next. Gwen moved forward and hugged him tightly, lips pressed against his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Ben."

He was taken aback by his cousin's sudden shown of affection, but chuckled and slid his arms around her waist. "Merry Christmas, Gwen." The two stood there in comfortable silence, holding each other. Her face was buried in the crook of his neck.

Crouched there, in the alley, he watched. Jealousy and hatred bubbled up inside him, threatening to overflow. Kevin couldn't tear his eyes away. This feeling was strange; a mixture of rage and despair were welling up in the pit of his stomach. It felt like his entire body was on fire, but covered in ice at the same time. But at the same time, he couldn't feel a thing, and he didn't know what to do.

After a minute or so, he turned his head away. He couldn't bare to see anymore. Then, he started walking. Just walking, not knowing how to think or feel. A few miles later, he reached a crumbled structure - he had been calling this 'home' for the past few days. Kevin's mind was at an utter standstill; it's like everything had stopped working, and autopilot had turned on.

Lying down on an assortment of rags, he ran a hand through his hair. Every nerve and muscle and fiber - completely numb. He became aware of how cold it really was. But after starting up a large fire, his insides couldn't feel its warmth. He couldn't even cry. It's like his tears had frozen over, too.

_So this is what it feels like to be empty._

* * *

In the days that followed, he tried distracting himself. He sat there, alone in the dark. Time flew by as he worked on knots, tightening cords. Yes, very soon, she would awake. However, the stars and the sky passed - he could feel himself slipping off into a light slumber. A muffled whimper roused him from his daze shortly after.

The moon was high enough in the sky to shine over his work. In front of Kevin lay a woman, bound and gagged, eyes covered with a dark ribbon. She started struggling against her bindings, yet to no avail. He had made sure to tie them extra tight; he couldn't risk another escapee.

In his eyes, she was absolutely stunning. A slender frame, short. Red hair, just like hers. But a few inches too long. Kevin sat her up against the stone wall and held up a pair of scissors, the pale moonlight gleaming off of the blades. He slid them lightly against the woman's cheek, and she froze. A soft growl slipped from his lips. "Don't move, or I'll mess up... And if I mess up, I might just end up slitting your throat." She gave a short, shaky nod and tried to subdue her terror.

Kevin wasn't what you'd call a hair stylist. Although he tried his best to be careful, he was extremely clumsy. His large hands made the task even more difficult. But soon enough, he got her hair around to what looked like an approppriate length. "There, now that's much better..."

He let out a sigh, looking her up and down. Just hours before, he had snatched this little fairy from the streets. She should be grateful; walking alone, at that hour? He thought it lucky that she had been taken by him instead of some rapist lurking in the streets. _Heh. She should thank me for saving her worthless 'chastity.' That is, if she hasn't already whored it away._

From a distance, in the faint light of dusk, she had greatly resembled Gwen. Even up close.. this was good enough. Just a few touch-ups here and there would suffice. When he was finally satisfied with her hair, he moved closer. The girl felt this and let out a high-pitched squeal, trying to inch back. Kevin growled in annoyance and forced her back into place.

"Now, just stay fucking still. Don't ruin this for me."

The girl complied, her tiny body shaking in fear. He pressed a hand to her cheek, staring into her face, heart racing. His expressions softened a bit. It felt like it was beating a million beats a minute. _This could be the one... _With his other hand, he hastily threw away her gag, started to remove her blindfold, saw her eyes; big eyes, glowing up at him in the darkness-

Kevin glared into them, anger flaring. Not the deep green pools he had been expecting, but a hateful, solid blue. Even the features and shapes of her face were wrong, wrong, _wrong_. It wasn't the same, not at all. Those frightened orbs were full of tears, trickling down pale cheeks. Without a second thought, he raised his diamond-encrusted arm. Her eyes widened and a

* * *

That had been the fourth one this week. The sun was already starting to rise, streaming through a large hole in the ceiling. Snow from the previous night covered the floor, white and fluffy. As he stared up at the sea of clouds above, a red substance dripped into the powdery piles below.

* * *

Another day gone, another sleepless night. He had grown bored of searching for playmates, and forced himself to go for a walk. Anything else than sitting in that thing he called a house; lonely, _alone_.

As fate would have it, he wound up in the same place he had been a week before - the hotel. That numbing feeling crept up his chest, but he tried to ignore it. As he moved around to the back of the building, he grew nervous.

"Man... Am I really doing this?" He looked up at the large building. "..If I end up at the wrong room, I'll leave," he gambled with himself. As he started climbing, a sinking feeling told him that this was a completely pointless act; he was just wasting time. But another part was excited, knowing that he would find it. Even if it took all night.

Surprisingly enough, it didn't - even though it _felt_ like it did. The air was cold and the wind was blowing fiercely. Snow attacked him from all sides, trying to knock him down. After what seemed like hours, Kevin reached the right floor. He prayed he hadn't lost count and ended up higher than he needed to be. That would've made him blow a gasket. But when he looked around and spotted a large number six on the wall, he relaxed. "Woo... Finally." He still clung on to something for dear life - he had no clue what it was; the blizzard obstructed his sight. But he hoped against hope that it wouldn't break any time soon. His wings were frozen solid, so he would be expecting a pretty brutal fall.

Then, he saw her. Just a few feet in front of him. Due to this little surprise, he lost his footing in the blink of an eye. Somehow, he managed to hang on. Something made a discouraging creaking sound, but he didn't pay it much mind. Swinging his legs over the balcony, he let go, making hard contact with its floor. It wasn't a very graceful stunt, but it served its purpose. He was safe and sound, right in front of his kryptonite.

Fortunately for him, she hadn't noticed. Gwen was hunched over in her chair, head in her arms. He just stood there like an idiot, hair whipped around from the winds, freezing cold, staring into her room. Kevin noticed a book next to her on the desk. _Romeo and Juliet, huh? Well, what a coincidence... _Slowly, he moved up close against the glass, looking around. _No one else. Good. It's just me and you, Gwen. Nn... Finally..._ They hadn't been this close since he had been captured. On an impulse, he slid open the screen door.

She shifted a bit in her chair, and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't move from the spot, but watched intently. After awhile, she settled down again. A nightmare, perhaps?

Hesitant footsteps, silent breaths. Kevin didn't bother closing screen behind him, fearing the noise would wake her. She was shivering. He cocked his head to one side, thinking. "Well..." he muttered to himself. He cautiously moved towards her. Now, he was right by her side. He was wonderfully close, seeing every one of her beautiful details.

Yes, it seemed like her hair _had _gotten longer...

He urged himself forward. Gently, Kevin scooped her up into his arms. He shuffled over to her bed, using a lower arm to move the sheets back. Tucking her in, he sat on the floor, staring into all four of his hands. In the small room, he felt so out of place. Sure, there was plenty of room, but it suited her a lot more. She was at least one-third his size, after all.

He dared to whisper, hoping that it wouldn't wake her from her peaceful slumber. The words just spilled out.

"You really are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Gwen. Even your name makes me feel.. weird. No one else has ever been able to do that to me, you know. I'm so hideous - I don't even deserve to think of someone as radiant as you. The two of us are complete opposites. I'm like a demon, you're like an angel..." he paused and sighed in furstration, shaking his head. "No, no, that's not it... Uh... Let me think..."

He sat there in silence, glancing outside. His tone turned sad. "I can't even find words to describe you. You've done so many things to me... I don't know what to do anymore. I hate everything, and everyone. I especially hate _you_. No, something even _worse_ than hate," he growled, moving his fist over to the left side of his chest. "You make.. this act weird. My heart. I thought I didn't even have one of those," he laughed softly, staring up at the ceiling. "It's weird, I know... I'm not the best at explaining things. If you could hear me, this would probably sound like a big, jumbled mess. The ramblings of a freak."

Bitterness laced each of his words like icing. "It's not fair. You have so many people who love you. Why can't I be one of those people? And.. why can't anyone love me?" Kevin looked over at her again, a desperate look appearing on his face. "Would..." He moved closer. "Gwen..." Pressing his lips to her ear, his voice shook.

"Would you be able to love a monster like me?"

Silence pressed on. He stared into her face, searching for some kind of answer. Nervously, he took her hand in one of his own, playing with each of her fingers. She had such small hands...

Gwen rolled onto her side, facing his direction. _She must be dreaming... I wonder what a person like her sees at night. Her frightful dreams must be filled with ugly creatures of the dark... As mine are filled with beautiful creatures of the light. In a way, we are one in the same. One day, I know you'll realise that._

Kevin inhaled slowly. He leaned back in, hand cupping her cheek. He wished she was awake; he wanted to lose himself in those eyes again. "Those people who love you don't know just how lucky they are..." His hand twitched, shaking.

"I want what they have."

* * *

The next morning, Gwen let out a gasp and sat upright in bed. She was staring down at her shaky, clammy hands. She couldn't move, like she had been frozen out in the snow. When she tried to remember her nightmare, it only slipped further and further away from her. After a few minutes, she gave up altogether. But it must have been important to scare her like this...

Sighing, she looked around the room. She was a bit groggy, dizziness blurring her vision. When her eyes had adjusted, she noticed that her curtains were moving. Gwen watched as they fluttered around the door, swaying from the outside breeze. She gingerly swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.

She walked out onto her balcony, wiping the white dust away from the metal railing. She gripped it tightly, watching the clouds. Closing her eyes, she tried to think. Why had her door been open? Did a robber sneak in? Did that scary nightmare actually happen? Another sigh. She walked back inside, rubbing her arms that were covered in goosebumps. The air in her room was pretty chilly, and she shuddered.

"Quit trying to scare yourself, Gwendolyn... You probably just fell asleep with the door open." She didn't really think about how she gotten from the desk into bed; it hadn't crossed her mind.

Closing the door and fixing the curtains, she didn't notice the book missing from her desk.

* * *

I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews! :3 You have no idea how much they inspire me to keep writing. For the first time, I actually think it's, well, good. ;w; So, I write for your sake. (Mine, too. ewe I love it.) So, enough sappy sap talk. I'll post the next chapter tomorrow or the day after. _Godetevi, i miei lettori incantevoli._


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